The Flora and fauna of the temperate forest of Mexico Are characterized by forests of pine, cedar, fir, ayarín, táscate, encino and mixed among some of these species.
The temperate forest of Mexico is located in mountainous areas whose climate is temperate, that is to say that it can oscillate between -3 ° C and 18 ° C depending on the season of the year (Romero, 2015).
The temperate forest of Mexico contains 50% of the world's pine species and a third of the oak species, for a total of 50 pine and 200 oak species.
On the other hand, it is estimated that apart from conifers, more than 7,000 different types of plants also inhabit this type of ecosystem. All this gives the temperate Mexican forest the condition of being always green (HDZ, 2012).
Among the animal species that can be easily found in this region of the country are white-tailed deer, lynx, armadillo, raccoon, various types of snakes, birds (including some migratory), insects and mammals.
All these species exist thanks to the richness of organic material found in the soils of temperate forests (CONABIO, 2017).
Location of the Mexican temperate forest
The temperate Mexican forests are located mainly to the south of the country, near the region of Baja California, in the North Mountain range of Oaxaca, the Neovolcanic Axis, to the south of Chiapas and in the Eastern and Western Mother Sierras.
In this way, this type of forests occupy approximately 3,233 km2, that is to say, more than 15% of the territory of the country.
The maximum altitude at which these dark forests can be found between 2,000 and 3,400 meters above sea level (msnm).
Weather
The temperate climate is characterized by presenting the four seasons marked (summer, autumn, winter and spring) and have an average temperature that varies between -3 ° C and 18 ° C.
In temperate forests of Mexico, the climate fluctuates between 12 ° C and 23 ° C during the year (Biodiversity, 2017).
However, it is likely that the temperature reaches zero degrees during the winter. On the other hand, this ecosystem Presents annual precipitations that reach 1000 mm.
These climatic conditions make this type of forest the ideal place for the proliferation of multiple plant and animal species.
Flora
Mexican temperate forests have a wide variety of plant species. Among them the most representative are the pines and oaks.
Pine trees
The temperate Mexican forest contains 50% of the world's pine species (25 species of 50) (Forestales, 1976).
Some of the most common that can be found within this type of forest are the following:
- Acahuite (Pinus ayacahuite)
- Hortiguillo (Pinus lawsoni)
- White ocote (Pinus montezumae)
- Chinese ocote (Pinus oocarpa)
- Ocote colorado (Pinus patula)
- Brown ocote (Pinus hartwegii)
- Cedar pine (Pinus pringlei)
- Pine chimney (Pinus leiophylla)
- Chinese pine (Pinus teocote)
- Straight pine (Pinus pseudostrobus)
- Crazy Pine (Pinus cembroides)
Encinos
The temperate Mexican forest contains a third part of the species of oaks that can be found in the world (200 of 600). Some of the most common that can be found within this type of forest are the following:
- Encino barcino (Quercus magnoliifolia)
- White oak (Quercus candicans)
- Encino colorado (Quercus castanea)
- Encino cucharo (Quercus urbanii)
- Encino laurelillo (Quercus laurina)
- Encino prieto (Quercus laeta, Quercus glaucoides)
- Encino quebracho (Quercus rugosa)
- Red oak (Quercus scytophylla)
- Encino tesmilillo (Quercus crassipes)
- Escobillo (Quercus mexicana)
- Oak (Quercus crassifolia)
Other species
Within the different types of plant species that can also be found in this ecosystem are the following tree species:
- Fir (Abies religiosa)
- Ayarín (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
- Jaboncillo (Clethra mexicana)
- Madroño (Arbutus xalapensis)
- Pinabete (Abies durangensis)
- Saucillo (Salix paradoxa).
- Táscate (Juniperus deppeana)
- Tepozán (American Buddleja)
It is also possible to find small scrubs and herbs of the following species:
- Abajo (Acaena elongata)
- Alfalfilla (Lupinus montanus)
- Arrayan (Gaultheria acuminata)
- Angel hair (Calliandra grandiflora)
- Cantaritos (Penstemon spp.)
- Capulincillo (Miconia hemenostigma)
- Cilantro fern (Asplenium monanthes)
- Ferns (Dryopteris spp.)
- Herb of Carranza (Alchemilla pectinata)
- Herb grass (Oenothera speciosa)
- Grass of the toad (Eryngium sp.)
- Sweet grass (Stevia lucida)
- Jara (Baccharis heterophylla)
- Laurel (Litsea glaucescens)
- Lentrisco (Rhus virens)
- Manzanita (Acrtostaphylos pungens)
- Najicoli (Lamourouxia viscosa)
- Nanchillo cimarrón (Vismia camparaguey)
- Rosewood (Bejaria aestuans)
- Mountain tea (Satureja macrostema)
- Tlaxistle (Amelanchier denticulata)
It is possible that some orchids and bromeliads grow in the forest, pines or oaks, especially in places with a higher percentage of moisture
. On the other hand, numerous species of fungi also grow in this forest, as they are the following:
- Duraznillo (Cantharellus cibarius)
- Mushroom mushroom (Boletus edulis)
- Fungus of lamb (Russula brevipes)
- Bud fungus (Amanita caesarea)
- Matamoscas (Amanita muscaria)
Fauna
The temperate Mexican forests have a diverse fauna, rich in mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and insects.
Here are some of these species:
Mammals
- Gray Squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster) and Northern Coati (Nasua narica)
- Flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
- Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
- Serrano rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus),
- Lynx (Lynx rufus)
- Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
- Puma (Puma concolor)
- Tlacuache (Didelphis virginiana)
- White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
- Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
Reptiles
- Rattlesnake (Crotalus basiliscus)
- Viper Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus)
- Vibora transvolcanica cascabel (Crotalus triseriatus
Birds
- Royal Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
- Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
- Blue throat tile (Sialia mexicana)
- Carpintero bellotero (Melanerpes formicivorus)
- Greater Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
- American kestrel (Falco sparverius)
- Chipes (Setophaga spp.)
- Bugler Goldfinch (Myadestes occidentalis)
- Ruby throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
- Red-breasted hawk (Accipiter striatus)
- Red buzzer (Selasphorus rufus)
Insects
- Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
- Beetles of the genus Plusiotis
- Pinocchio of Tocumbo (Chapalichthys pardalis)
- Picote tequila (Zoogoneticus tequila)
- Picote (Zoogoneticus quitzeoensis)
- Shot of Zacapu (Allotoca zacapuensis)
- Painted (Xenotoca variata)
- Chegua (Alloophorus robustus)
- Mexcalpinques (Godeidae)
References
- Biodiversity, C. N. (2017). Mexican Biodiversity . Obtained from Temperate Forests: biodiversidad.gob.mx
- (2017). Mexico Country of Wonders . Obtained from Temperate Forest: paismaravillas.mx
- Forestales, A.M. (1976). Mexico and its forests. Volumes 15-18 .
- HDZ, B. (September 17, 2012). Temperate Forest . Obtained from temperate forests: bosquetempladoitst.blogspot.com.br
- Romero, L. (February 12, 2015). Gazette Digital UNAM . Retrieved from TEMPLATE FORESTS, SECOND TYPE OF VEGETATION IMPORTANT: gaceta.unam.mx.